Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (中国有色金属学报)•2026•DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(26)67060-4
The microstructural evolution and property response of Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni and Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni−0.2Al alloys subjected to solution treatment at 950 °C for 30 min, 70% cold rolling, and aging at 450 °C for 60 min were systematically investigated. The baseline Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni alloy precipitates predominantly the Ni−Be phase with a transformation sequence of γ″→γ′→γ, whereas the Al-modified alloy exhibits co-precipitation of Ni3Al and nanoscale Be−Ni phases. This synergistic precipitation yields a hardness of HV 268, yield strength of 824 MPa, tensile strength of 881 MPa, elongation of 9%, and electrical conductivity of 47% IACS in the Cu−0.3Be−2.0Ni−0.2Al alloy, compared to HV 238, 785 MPa, 840 MPa, 10%, and 50% IACS for the Al-free counterpart. Relative to conventional aging, thermo-mechanical treatment increases hardness by 13% and conductivity by 6.8% in the Al-containing alloy, while the Al-free alloy shows a 6% hardness increase with marginal conductivity improvement. The co-precipitation mechanism effectively compensates for the strength loss typically associated with reduced Be content, demonstrating a viable pathway for low-cost, high-performance Cu−Be alloys.
Nano-Micro Letters•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s40820-025-01676-6
Rapid population growth in recent decades has intensified both the global energy crisis and the challenges posed by climate change, including global warming. Currently, the increased frequency of extreme weather events and large fluctuations in ambient temperature disrupt thermal comfort and negatively impact health, driving a growing dependence on cooling and heating energy sources. Consequently, efficient thermal management has become a central focus of energy research. Traditional thermal management systems consume substantial energy, further contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, emergent radiant thermal management technologies that rely on renewable energy have been proposed as sustainable alternatives. However, achieving year-round thermal management without additional energy input remains a formidable challenge. Recently, dynamic radiative thermal management technologies have emerged as the most promising solution, offering the potential for energy-efficient adaptation across seasonal variations. This review systematically presents recent advancements in dynamic radiative thermal management, covering fundamental principles, switching mechanisms, primary materials, and application areas. Additionally, the key challenges hindering the broader adoption of dynamic radiative thermal management technologies are discussed. By highlighting their transformative potential, this review provides insights into the design and industrial scalability of these innovations, with the ultimate aim of promoting renewable energy integration in thermal management applications.
Int. Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (矿物冶金与材料学报)•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s12613-024-2983-8
The evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of WE43 magnesium alloy during multipass hot rolling was investigated. Results revealed that multipass hot rolling promoted the formation of small second phases, which was conducive to multiple dynamic recrystallization, consequently improving the microstructure homogeneity and refining the average grain size from 34.3 μm in the initial material to 8.83 μm. Meanwhile, the rolling deformation rotated abundant c-axis of the grains in the normal direction, resulting in a strong fiber texture. The yield strength in the rolling direction (RD) was improved from 164 MPa in the initial material to 324 MPa in the Pass 3 sheet due to fine-grained strengthening, second-phase strengthening, and texture modification. In addition, the distribution maps of the deformation mechanism indicated that the yield strength anisotropy between the RD and the transverse direction (TD) can be attributed to the effects of the texture component on the dominant mechanism. The dominant deformation mechanism during the tensile test was the prismatic slip caused by the strong basal texture of the RD, whereas it had a lesser proportion of prismatic slip under the influence of the weak basal texture of the TD. Compared to the basal slip, the higher critical resolved shear stress of the prismatic slip resulted in a higher increase in yield strength along the RD at approximately 51 MPa than that along the TD (RD: increase of 160 MPa; TD: increase of 109 MPa).
Int. Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (矿物冶金与材料学报)•2025•DOI: 10.1007/s12613-024-2969-6
Simultaneously achieving high strength and high electrical conductivity in Cu–Ni–Si alloys pose a significant challenge, which greatly constrains its applications in the electronics industry. This paper offers a new pathway to improve properties, by preparation of nanometer lamellar discontinuous precipitates (DPs) arranged with the approximate same direction through a combination of deformation-aging and cold rolling process. The strengthening effect is primarily attributed to nanometer-lamellar DPs strengthening and dislocation strengthening mechanism. The accumulation of dislocations at the interface between nanometer lamellar DPs and matrix during cold deformation process can results in the decrease of dislocation density inside the matrix grains, leading to the acceptably slight reduction of electrical conductivity during cold rolling. The alloy exhibits an electrical conductivity of 45.32%IACS (international annealed copper standard, IACS), a tensile strength of 882.67 MPa, and a yield strength of 811.33 MPa by this method. This study can provide a guidance for the composition and microstructure design of a Cu–Ni–Si alloy in the future, by controlling the morphology and distribution of DPs.